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Can McCain survive age issue?
27/03/2008 14:58 - (SA)
Washington - Republican presidential candidate John McCain is the ultimate survivor. Not only did he live through five years as a Vietnam prisoner of war, he also has stared down the deadly cancer melanoma.
As a young Navy pilot, he narrowly escaped death in a fire
aboard the US aircraft carrier Forrestal in 1967. Later that
year his fighter jet was shot down over Hanoi. He ejected from
his plane and broke a leg and two arms and was said to have
nearly drowned when he parachuted into a lake.
As a POW, he underwent torture that included fractures in
both shoulders, which left him barely able to raise his arms
above his shoulders, as well as broken ribs and a badly injured
knee.
In the past 15 years, he has been treated four times for
melanoma, the most serious case being in 2000 when he underwent
surgery on his face for the cancer, leaving him with a bulge
and a long scar on the left side of his face. He has been
cancer-free since then.
Age will be a campaign issue
At age 71, McCain would be the oldest person ever to serve
a first presidential term. Both Democratic and Republican
strategists expect his age to be a campaign issue.
But so far, McCain has kept any doubters at bay with a
tough work schedule. He holds lengthy town-hall meetings that
include a speech and question-and-answer session, and he holds
court with reporters on his bus on the way to events.
McCain impresses his much-younger aides with his stamina,
although some of those around him have advised him to cut back
on the junk food that is prevalent on all political campaigns.
"I just spent most of the time with him from Labour Day (in
September) through early March, when he worked seven-day weeks,
14-hour days, and I'm 10 years younger than him, and I couldn't
keep up with him," said senior McCain adviser Charlie Black.
In mid-April, McCain's team plans to release details of his
medical history. He underwent a physical earlier this month
that included a stress test and he also had a skin exam to see
if there was any sign of the melanoma returning.
He was fine on both counts, his campaign said.
Performance of a 47-year-old man
Black said when McCain took the treadmill stress test to
determine the strength of his heart, he reported afterward that
"I had the performance of a 47-year-old man."
McCain is known to take the medication Vytorin to keep his
cholesterol low. He also takes vitamins. For exercise, he hikes
up and down the hills near his Sedona, Arizona, ranch.
Doctors say there is no reason why McCain would not be able
to serve as president.
But they note that certain health risk factors come into
play for Americans in their 70s, such as the potential for
heart disease and cancer.
Stress
Harvard-trained cardiologist James Rippe, who wrote about
the impact of stress and diet in his book, Your Plan for a
Balanced Life, says running for president is remarkably
stressful and that it is important to eat well and get enough
sleep and exercise.
"I think for somebody who is in their 70s who is doing
something inherently stressful, really throwing his life out of
balance, it is a legitimate question for all of us to ask, is
his health adequate to be in the White House, to be in arguably
the world's most stressful job," Rippe said.
David Carr, clinical director of the division of geriatrics
and nutritional science at Washington University in St Louis,
said the fact that McCain has gone five years without a
melanoma recurrence is good news.
He said since McCain has had multiple episodes of the
lethal cancer, it means "people are watching him closely" for
signs of a recurrence and the earlier a new episode is found,
the better.
Democratic strategist Jim Duffy said he doubts the
Democratic presidential nominee will address McCain's age
directly but that if Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, 46, emerges as
the victor in his party, an argument over generational change
likely will be made.
Obama will honour McCain's lengthy service but argue that
"it's time for a new generation of leadership", Duffy
predicted.
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